Spanberger unveils energy plan to meet growing Virginia demand
Gov. Abigail Spanberger unveiled Virginia’s 2026 energy plan, which models several strategies for meeting rising electricity demand and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan identifies data centers as the largest driver of demand growth and calls for them to pay for the energy infrastructure they require while using demand flexibility and clean energy resources.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger introduced Virginia’s updated energy plan, a nearly 200-page analysis of five possible policy pathways through 2050. The plan says the state can reduce emissions and limit costs through expanded solar, storage, distributed energy resources and programs that encourage large electricity users, including data centers, to reduce or shift consumption during peak periods.
Virginia Energy Director Vince Maiden said the analysis is intended to help lawmakers evaluate whether current policies are working. The plan does not set utility rates or approve projects, but it recommends that data centers bear the cost of infrastructure built to serve them rather than shifting those costs to households and other customers. The report identifies data center growth as the primary source of rising electricity demand and notes that the industry already consumes more power in Virginia than the commercial or industrial sectors.
Republican lawmakers criticized the plan’s assumptions about health and environmental costs and its support for clean-energy development. Environmental and clean-energy groups generally praised the proposal, while the Virginia League of Conservation Voters called for pausing new data center approvals until stronger community and environmental protections are established.